Clarinets



Oct. 19, 1965 G. ACTON 3,212,385

CLARINETS Filed April 12, 1965 United States Patent 3,212,385 CLARINETS Geotirey Acton, London, England, assignor to Boosey ti: Han/lies Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Apr. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 447,240

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 14, 1964,

2 Claims. (Cl. 84--382) This invention relates to clarinets and is particularly concerned with such instruments constructed in accordance with the Boehm system. In such clarinets the bottom joint has three finegr holes which are controlled by three fingers of the right hand. In the middle register these three holes correspond to the notes E, F and F sharp. In addition there is a fourth hole or vent corresponding to the note G and in order to control the total of four vents with only three fingers a so-called ring key is fitted. This comprises three rings surrounding the three finger holes and connected to a common operating rod which is rocked when a finger is applied to any one of the three holes, The rocking movement of the rod serves to close a valve fitted to the G vent. Accordingly as long as any one of the three finger holes is closed so the G vent is also closed by its valve.

The instrument is tuned so as to give the correct note for each finger hole on the assumption that the finger holes preceding it are open. In other words the note F is produced when both the E finger hole and the F finger hole are open. At this stage F sharp holes is closed so that the valve for the G vent is also closed. When it is desired to produce F sharp the corresponding finger hole must be opened but in removing the finger from this hole the valve controlling the G vent is also automatically opened. To overcome this difficulty the normal technique is to close the F finger hole and thus to keep the G vent closed. Under these circumstances, however, it is impossible to produce a true F sharp since as already mentioned the true note is only produced when the preceding finger holes are also open. This is not the case when the F finger hole is closed in order to keep the G vent closed. This leads to inherent faults in intonation and sound quality. These faults have long been recognised but have had to be accepted since it is otherwise impossible to control the G vent.

According to the present invention the bottom joint of such a clarinet includes in addition to the three finger holes and the vent previously described, a further vent corresponding to the note F, this vent being controlled by a valve operated by the ring of the ring key surrounding the F sharp finger hole in such a way that the further vent is closed when the F sharp finger hole is closed and opened when the latter is also opened. Accordingly if the F finger hole is open but the F sharp finger hole is closed the additional vent remains closed. When the note F sharp is to be made, however, the F sharp finger hole is opened to release the F sharp ring and at the same time the F finger hole is closed so as to keep the G vent closed. This is the normal method of operation already described and normally results in a faulty note owing to the closure of the F finger hole.

With the construction in accordance with the present invention, however, the release of the F sharp ring opens the further vent so that although the F finger hole is closed an equivalent opening is provided and a true F sharp is obtained. In other words the faulty notes previously obtained from the instrument are replaced by true notes without the need for any alteration whatsoever in the fingering technique. Similar improvements are found to occur for the lower and upper registers and in particular it is found that when played with See the middle finger of the right hand the low B natural hitherto sharp in pitch and of poor tone quantity and the high E fiat hitherto impossibly fiat are also vastly improved by the same mechanism.

As mentioned above all three rings of the ring key are usually connected to a common connecting rod to which the valve for the G vent is also connected. Consequently all three rings are normally solidly linked together so that depression of one ring depresses all three. In a construction in accordance with the present invention, however, the F sharp ring must be capable of independent movement so as to control the valve for the additional vent as already described and this ring must still be able to control the valve for the G vent in the usual way. For this purpose the valve for the G vent may be operated by a sleeve to which the E and F rings of the ring key are connected and which is capable of being rocked by movement of the F sharp ring, and the valve from the further vent is operated by a spindle connected to the F sharp ring and capable of turning within the sleeve. When F sharp is to be played the F finger hole is closed as already described and the pressure on this ring keeps the valve for the G vent closed. Since, however, the F sharp ring is not depressed the valve for the further vent remains open and this further vent then takes the place of the F finger hole which has been closed.

A construction in accordance with the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view to an enlarged scale of part of the bottom joint of a clarinet constructed in accordance with the Boehrn system; and,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view to a further enlarged scale seen on the line IIII in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 1 shows only the parts of the instrument with which the present invention is concerned. These comprise three finger holes 1, 2 and 3 which are normally controlled by three fingers of the right hand and correspond in the middle register to the notes F sharp, F and E respectively. In addition there is a vent 4 corresponding to note G and controlled by a valve 5. This is mounted on an arm 6 pivoted about a screw 7 extending through a bracket 8 secured to the body of the instrument indicated as 9. The valve is spring loaded into the open position by means of a spring not seen in the drawings and an extension 10 of the arm 6 bears against the body 9 and limits movement of the valve 5 away from the vent 4.

The valve 5 is controlled by a ring key comprising three rings 11, I2 and 13 surrounding the finger holes 11, 2, and 3 respectively. In the normal construction of instrument these three rings are connected to a solid bar which in its turn is connected to the arm 6 and the rings are biassed into a position away from their respective openings by the same spring as controls the arm 6. Accordingly when any one of the three finger holes is closed the corresponding ring is depressed and the valve 5 is thus operated to close the vent 4.

In a construction in accordance with the invention, however, as illustrated in FIGURE 1 the rings 12 and 13 corresponding to the notes F and E are connected to a sleeve 15 which is also connected to the arm 6 so that depression of either of these two rings closes the vent 4 in the manner already described. The ring 11, however, i connected to a spindle 16 capable of turning within the sleeve 15 and extending beyond the end of the sleeve as indicated at 17. At this point the spindle is pivoted on a screw 18 mounted in a bracket 19 and since the sleeve 15 is a relatively close fit on the spindle 16 the screw 18 also serves as a pivot for the sleeve 15. At 17 the spindle 16 is connected to a cranked arm 20 which bears against the underside of a lever 21 pivoted at 22 and connected at 3 its opposite end to operate a valve 23 controlling a vent 24. This vent is located exactly opposite the finger hole 2 so as to correspond to the note F. The lever 21 is independently biased into a position in which the valve 23 is open but when the ring 11 is depressed the arm 2% is raised thus rocking the lever 21 to close the vent 24-.

Although the ring 11 is not connected directly to the sleeve 15 it is fitted with a small projection 39 as seen in FIGURE 2 which engages a part 31 best seen in FIGURE 1. This part 31 bridges a gap between two parts of the sleeve 15 which turns an additional short length of sleeve 32 connected to the spindle 16 and to which the ring 11 in its turn is connected. In other words when the ring Ill is depressed it rocks the sleeve 15 to operate the valve 5 to close the vent 4 in the same way as if the ring 11 were connected rigidly to the sleeve 15. At the same time depression of the ring 11 closes the vent 24 as already described. On the other hand depression of the rings 12 and 13 although closing the vent 4 leaves the vent 24 open.

Thus when the note F sharp is to be made the F finger hole 2 is closed and depression of the ring 12 also closes the G vent 4. Since, however, the ring 11 is not depressed the vent 24 remains open so that although the F finger hole 2 is closed an equivalent opening is provided and a true F sharp is obtained. This result is achieved without the need for any alteration whatsoever in the fingering technique. The ring key comprising the rings 11, 12 and 13 operates the G vent 4 in precisely the same manner as 4*, in a normal instrument, the only difference lying in the provision of the vent 24 and its operation in the manner already described.

I claim:

1. A bottom joint for a clarinet constructed in accordance with the Boehm system having the normal three finger holes corresponding in the middle register to the notes E, F and F shanp and a vent corresponding to the note G controlled by a valve operated by a ring key associated with the other three holes, and including in addition a further vent corresopnd-ing to the note F, this vent being controlled by a valve operated by the ring of the ring key supporting the F sharp finger hole, in such a way that the further vent is closed when the F sharp finger hole is closed and is open when the latter is also open.

2. A bottom joint for a clarinet according to claim 1, in which the valve for the G vent is operated by a sleeve to which the E and F rings of the ring key are connected and which is capable of being rocked by movement of the F sharp ring, and the valve for the further vent is operated by a spindle connected to the F sharp ring and capable of turning within the sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,017,798 1/62 Robbins 84-382 LEO SMILOWV, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BOTTOM JOINT FOR A CLARINET CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BOEHM SYSTEM HAVING THE NORMAL THREE FINGER HOLES CORRESPONDING IN THE MIDDLE REGISTER TO THE NOTES E, F AND F SHARP AND A VENT CORRESPONDING TO THE NOTE G CONTROLLED BY A VALVE OPERATED BY A RING KEY ASSOCIATED WITH THE OTHER THREE HOLES, AND INCLUDING IN ADDITION A FURTHER VENT CORRESPONDING TO THE NOTE F, THIS VENT BEING CONTROLLED BY A VALVE OPERATED BY THE RING OF THE RING KEY SUPPORTING THE F SHARP FINGER HOLE, IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE FURTHER VENT IS CLOSED WHEN THE F SHARP FINGER HOLE IS CLOSED AND IS OPEN WHEN THE LATTER IS ALSO OPEN. 